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Hi, I am overhauling my 1986 outrage 18'
There is a 63 gallon aluminum fuel tank under the deck. The paint on the top aspect was in bad shape so I stripped it with stripper then mineral spirits. The tank itself appears to be in good shape with a few small areas of mild superficial corrosion. The access hatch at the bottom end was removed and the old fuel drained. The tank looks good on the inside, as far was we can tell.. The hatch was then replaced with a new gasket. I trimmed any foam that was coming up over the edge of the tank and then singed the foam with a heat gun. Now I am almost ready to refinish the top of the tank. (The sides and bottom are not accessible). Trying to decide what to do (if I paint it I want to use something I can buy in a spray can):

1) Leave it unpainted. This seems to be a common practice with aluminum.
2) Paint it with zinc chromide. Toxic and old-fashioned?
3) Use a product like Rustoleum self-etching primer? May not work well long-term without some other top coat?

In the past the boat has been kept in an arid state and used infrequently on fresh water. Now it will be kept in western Washington and be used frequently on salt water.
Any tips on prepping the surface?
Thanks